Los Angeles daily herald., 1887-06-15

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AYERS n LYNCH.
u.s.lting she Chies Masistrate.
The action Of the Grand Army Posts
of Des Moines, Iowa, in grossly insult
ing the President of the United States,
is positively infamous. They all
endorsed the State Commanders pro-
test against inviting Mr.. Cleveland to
review the Grand Army at st. Louis
next September. They supplement-
ed their protest by series OF resoiu-
tions, one OF which sinks into black
ruardism. The pretended reason for
this shameful assault upon the Presi-
dent is his action in vetoing a large
number OF pension bills passed by the
two Houses at the last session OF Con-
gress. In returning these bills with
out his approval, the President gave
his reasons at length in each case.
Tn ese reasons were considered sui
ficient to Justify his action, and they
never have been controverted. The
Pens sion Bureau had become polit-
ical machine under Col. Dudley dur
in the last administration, and the
ex posures made by the present Chief
of the Pension Bureau, General BLACK,
were sufficient to arouse the indigna-
ton of every fair-minded man at the
way in which a great national trust
had been abused. 1t was conclusive
" shown that in close districts appli-
cations for pensions were acted upon
altogether in the interest OF Republ-
can candidates for Congress, and that
unless the applicants agreed to SUBJ
ordinate their manhood and become
party machines, their claims were
ignored. Another method was in
vogue by which the pension roll was
increased several million dollars every
year. Men who had contracted dis
ease or met with accident long after
the war, and who. under the pension
laws, had no legal claim upon the
government as soldiers disabled in
the service, became tie benehciaries
of special legislation by Congress,
granting them in some cases higher
pensions than those received by dis
a bled soldiers who came regularly
under the provisions OF the general
pension laws. These special relief bills
became 60 numerous as to challenge
the attention of the country. They
we're increasing the roll at an alarm
ing rate, and were actually becoming
m ore onerous upon the treasury than
the pensions of the soldiers who had
been placed upon the list in the
re guIar way. Mr.. Cleveland consid-
cred it his duty to closely examine
into these dependent pension bills"
when a large batch OF them came
be fore him. He made careful and
thorough investigation into their
merits, and found, in mostcases, that
the bounty of the nation was sought
to be abused in this indirect way.
He vetoed large number OF them
because the parties named in them
were not entitled to pensions. The
country, including a great part of the
Grand Army, approved OF his course.
He performed duty which was made
incumbent upon him by his oath OF
Office. He was debarred by his posi-
ton from taking sentimental view
OF this legislation, and could only be
guided by the plain principles which
un derlie the general system OF laws
granting pensions. If it was right to
pass special laws granting pensions to
preferred individuals who had no
claim to assistance under the general
laws, then it was right that all ex-
sol diers with equal claims should be
equally pensioned. Therefore, to
prevent further abuse and discrimi-
nation, the general laws should be
extended so as to include in their
benefits those who were without in
fiuence to procure special legislation,
as we'll as those who had powerful
friends in Congress to help them to
exceptional relief. The Presidents
attitude was the correct one. 1t was
the best for the country and the best
for that vast majority of the brave
men of the army who illustrate in
their conduct the aphorism that cour-
age and modesty go together. To
denounce the President as ''soldier
hater" because he did what was right
and statesmanlike, and what was
best for the veterans themselves, be-
trays ferocious prejudice as well
as strong partisan malice on the
part of the Des Moines Posts. In
deed, we feel assured that if the true
inwerdness OF this outrageous insult
to the Chief Magistrate of the Union
could be got at, it would be found that
those who are its prime movers and
instigators are designing politicians
who are trying to use the soldiers
national organization as partisan
!